It's safe to say the winter of 2012 and 2013 won't break that record but, if Portland tops 100 total inches for the winter, that puts this season in rare company.

Only 15 winter seasons have topped 100 inches of snowfall in the last 131 years.

Recently, the winter of 2007 and 2008 and the winter of 2004 and 2005 topped the century marks.

This winter did give Portland a record-setting single snowfall with 31.9 inches falling at the Jetport during the blizzard of Feb. 8 and 9.

In 2012, temperatures topped 70 degrees in the days following St. Patrick's Day.

Portland officials said the city is already 8 percent over its snow-removal budget before the first snowflake drops this week.

"Public safety is our number one priority, so our public safety is what we're going to focus on at the time, right now. How we finish out the budget year, that may be affected," Assistant Director of Public Services Eric Labelle said.

Nearly 50 city workers are expected to be on 16-hour shifts when the storm hits.

"We're getting back and loading trucks, making sure everything's operating as we need it to operate and we'll be ready for tonight," Labelle said.

Casey Cartwright with Beach Bagels said workers will continue to close up shop in the mid-afternoons until the warm weather rolls around.

Leon Rossouw, of Kennebunkport, said he decided to leave early for a business trip to South Carolina.